Republican Steve Hilton Advances in California Governor’s Race

SACRAMENTO—Republican Steve Hilton secured enough votes in the race for California governor to advance to the general election in November, setting up a partisan battle with Democrat Xavier Becerra.

The Associated Press called Hilton’s advancement on June 9, a week after the primaries. Hilton held 24.9 percent to Becerra’s 27.9 percent, with 88 percent of the votes counted.

Hilton goes into the general election as the clear underdog, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report ranking the post as solidly Democratic.

The former Fox News host ran on making California “Golden Again” by eliminating state income taxes for the first $100,000 earned, reducing regulatory burdens, expanding single family home development, and lowering gas prices by boosting oil production statewide.

His Hungarian parents fled communism and started a new life in the United Kingdom, where Hilton was raised. He became a dual U.S.-UK citizen in 2021.

He challenged the state’s bureaucracy and called for increased government efficiency and fiscal discipline. The state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates budget shortfalls of $35 billion annually in the coming years.

Early results showed Hilton leading the pack, but Becerra garnered a larger share of the vote-by-mail ballots that took longer to count.

State law allows 37 days between Election Day and certification, which is due July 10.

The delay was described by Hilton as “another Democrat fiasco” and called for full transparency during the canvassing period.

He topped billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer by just over 2 percent, receiving about 200,000 more votes than the third place finisher.

Becerra—former secretary of Health and Human Services, U.S. representative, and state attorney general—finished in first place, after polling in the lead consistently after former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) dropped out of the race following sexual misconduct allegations.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco tallied 10.1 percent, former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) received 4.4 percent, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan earned 3.7 percent.

The crowded field included 61 candidates, with 44 receiving 0.1 percent or less of the votes.

California’s voter registration leans heavily Democratic, with 10.4 million registered compared with approximately 5.8 million registered Republicans and about 5.3 million voters who have no party preference.

Becerra received more of the vote in the coastal and metropolitan areas, while Hilton pulled support from inland and rural regions.